Aerobatics and Formation Flying

1. Aerobatics and Formation Flying

2. Recap • Aircraft Maintenance • Ground Handling • Prep for Flight • General Flying • Aero’s & Formation flying

3. Aero’s History & Modern • History • Used by pilots to manoeuvre into a favourable firing position, or to avoid the guns of enemy aircraft. • Modern • Give the pilot confidence in handling aircraft • Experience at operating in different attitudes • Accustom pilot to the high strains & stress of combat flying

4. HASELL • Height – sufficient altitude to complete manoeuvre. • Airframe – Flaps and U/C UP, Airbrakes IN. • Security – Equipment and loose articles stowed & seat harness locked and tight. • Engine – Temperatures, pressures & fuel sufficient. • Location – clear of: • Activeairfields, • Built-up areas • Controlled airspace. • Look-Out – keep clear of other aircraft & cloud

5. Axis • All aircraft move in three axis • Yaw, Pitch & Roll

6. Basic: the loop • Process • Pilot aligns aircraft with linear feature – road, rail • Drop nose to increase speed • Keep wings level • Pull up until horizon disappears, looking overhead for new horizon

7. Basic: Barrel Roll • Process • Drop nose to increase speed • Pick point above horizon (cloud) • Roll 45° away from banking direction • Roll in banking direction, with nose of aircraft pointing at point on horizon

8. Basic: Slow Roll • Process • As barrel roll, but slower • Pilot must keep nose on horizon • Smooth and gentle of controls • Steady and slow roll

9. Basic: Stall turn • Only manoeuvre in yawing axis • Process • Nose up to 90° from horizontal, decreasing speed • Before wing stalls (zero lift, zero speed) apply rudder • Aircraft falls sideways until nose is pointing down • Speed increases, round out at the bottom

10. Advanced: Roll of the top • Process • ½ Loop followed by Barrel or Slow roll at top

11. Advanced: Half roll & pull through • Process • Barrel or Slow roll followed by second half of ½ Loop

12. Advanced: Upward roll • Process • Raise speed by dropping nose • Pull up vertically • Roll, keeping wings straight • Often ends with stall turn

13. Advanced: Aileron Turn • Process • As half roll & pull through, but roll ours when vertically downward

14. Advanced: Derry turn • Process • As half roll & pull through, but roll ours when vertically downward

15. Advanced: Vertical eight • Process • As half roll & pull through, but roll ours when vertically downward • Care must be taken not to exceed Speed & ‘G’ limits

16. Advanced: Horizontal eight • Process • As horizontal version of vertical eight

17. Advanced: Hesitation roll • Process • Either a 4 or 8 point roll, stopping briefly every 45° or 90°

18. Advanced: Inverted Flight • Process • Few aircraft are permitted to fly inverted for prolonged periods of time • Airframes can manage more +ve than –ve ‘G’ forces • Inverted flight inverts the pitch controls • Lift decrease and stalling speed increases High angle of attack

19. Formation Flying • “Ordered arrangement of 2 or more aircraft proceeding as an element” • Leader is termed an “No 1” and is responsible for briefing & safety of all aircraft in the formation. • No 1 is the only pilot who looks at instruments, all others watch & follow No 1 at ALL TIMES • Two categories of formation flying: • Close formation – take off, cloud formation, display & air shows, landing • Tactical formation – used for tactical combat operations

20. Formation Flying: Leadership • Close formation flying is dependant on the leadership of No 1 • No 1 commands the formation, it’s security, tactics, exercises & safe return to base • No 1 must brief a Deputy in case of emergency • Several sections can form up under the leadership of 1 section

21. 1 1 2 3 2 3 Formation Flying: Vic & Echelon & Line Astern • Vic & echelon Positions between aircraft are fixed by a reference point – e.g. Wing tip • Try to keep smoothness in formation with all in line Vic Echelon

22. 1 1 3 2 1 3 2 2 4 3 Formation Flying: Line abreast, line astern & Box • Distance & stations kept by reference to cockpit & size • In line astern relative distance is used Line Astern Line abreast Box

23. Close formation techniques • Relative speed – the only method of judging speed is using the Air Speed Indicator (ASI) • Apparent size – using the size of objects to judge distance – 6 miles to 3 miles isn’t obvious, but 1 mile to ½ mile is. • Distance – Tendency to underestimate, comes with practise & experience

24. Joining Formations • Does as quickly as possible to save time & fuel • No 1 flies straight & level for 1 mile, allowing others to catch up • No 2+ then join on a slow turn, remaining on starboard side of No 1 – 2 & 3 will swap • No 1 flies at cruising speed allows others to catch up by aiming on collision course, then slowing into position

25. Station changes • Changes are always small & smooth • Longitudinal changes use throttle & elevators • Lateral changes use ailerons • Vertical changes use elevators • A clean aircraft: • Accelerates quickly • Decelerates slowly • Acceleration is often poor at low speed in jet aircraft

26. Questions?

27. Check of Understanding